


a long way from where we began

by 26stars



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Recovery, OG Bus Ladies, References to canonical character deaths, Season 6 Finale Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 01:44:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20922113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/26stars/pseuds/26stars
Summary: Daisy and Jemma hold onto each other while they wait for May to wake up from her surgery





	a long way from where we began

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Florchis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Florchis/gifts).

> Happy birthday Flor :) I'm thankful for you!

They’re still hovering above the clouds and a world they don’t know, making plans and catching up on the time missed. Every second that has ticked by since Daisy watched May’s eyes close for what she thought was the last time has been its own personal agony, but now the medical team has done what was needed—a miracle—and now, Daisy is waiting for May’s eyes to open again.

May’s bed is in the cramped recovery room with barely enough space for Daisy to squeeze in on a stool between the bed and a wall. Monitors fill the space on the other side, and Daisy’s eyes flit constantly back and forth between the jumping lines on the EKG and the face of the agent in front of her. Beneath Daisy’s hand, May’s skin is cooler than usual, her temperature still rising from the freeze she was initially placed in. Someone has cleaned her as well as her wounds, wiping the blood and dust from her face if not Daisy’s memory. A cannula continues drizzling oxygen into the woman’s nostrils, and her chest rises and falls reliably every few seconds, but other than that, she doesn’t move.

It’s been four hours since they allowed Daisy in to see her, and she hasn’t even considered leaving yet. She would hate for May—for any of them—to wake up alone after an experience like that.

Jemma comes in once to check on them, lifting blanket, gown, and bandage at one point to check the state of the stitches closing brutal stab wound. There are other scars all over May’s body, many of which Daisy has seen before in safer circumstances, but she’s never soon a wound this bad look so fresh and deadly. The sight of it almost makes her nauseous, and she stares instead at May’s face, which doesn’t react at all to Jemma’s touch.

“You saw it happen?” Daisy asks quietly when Jemma moves everything back into place, and Jemma won’t look at her as she answers while removing her nitrile gloves.

“We did.”

Once again, Daisy feels tears pricking at her eyes, and she looks down at her hand clasping May’s.

“I always thought she was invincible,” she whispers, running her thumb over calloused knuckles that have thrown thousands of punches to protect everyone behind them. “Of course it was a risk every time she went up against anyone else, but she came back safely every time…”

“If she’d been expecting it from Sarge, he wouldn’t have stood a chance either,” Jemma reminds her. “Even Izel couldn’t beat her when she was half-dead on the other side.”

“I hate that she has that memory now,” Daisy says, gritting her teeth. “I hate that she’ll probably always remember someone who looked like Coulson shoving a sword through her.”

“I hate it too,” Jemma says, and Daisy finally looks up at her. Her friend is holding the discarded gloves in a tight fist, her gaze fixed on the unconscious agent between them. It’s the first crack Daisy has seen in Jemma’s methodical demeanor, the first flicker of emotion smoldering at her edges. “I hate that we trusted him enough to leave her with him…I hate that he’s tarnished everything we remember about Coulson…I hate that I wasn’t there…”

Daisy reaches across the bed to catch Jemma’s hand in her free one, and Jemma bites her lip, finally meeting Daisy’s eyes.

“That’s the second time I’ve watched her die,” she reminds Daisy quietly. “The second time I’ve brought her back. And this time was so much _worse_.”

Daisy squeezes her hand, sending a small vibration through Jemma’s fingers. “We’re gonna be all right, Jem,” she says, the platitude she repeated _ad nauseum _when they were in space before but never stopped meaning no matter how many times she said it.

Jemma takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “We’ve been through enough,” she says quietly, a small shudder audible on the last word. “If I could have just taken us all away and left Earth safely in someone else’s hands, I would have. But it’s never done, is it?”

“Doesn’t feel that way,” Daisy agrees sadly, looking back at May. “But there has to be an ending other than dying with your fists up.”

They’re both quiet for a long moment before Daisy continues.

“She deserved to walk away when he died last year…God knows—we know—she had certainly done more than her share…”

“Then I guess he wasn’t her only reason to stay.”

Daisy looks up at Jemma again, their eyes meeting in silent understanding, then breaking apart only when the woman between them unexpectedly coughs weakly. They look immediately May’s direction and see that her eyes are still closed, but she is breathing more deeply and stirring slightly.

“May?” Daisy says in a low, urgent voice, turning May’s hand within her grip until their palms press together. “Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

For a breathless second, there is no reaction, but then Daisy feels May’s hand barely flex around hers. A relieved sob shudders out of her as tears fill her eyes again, and she looks excitedly up at Jemma, who drops the gloves she was still clutching and reaches for May’s other hand.

“We’re here, May,” she says quietly. “You’re all right.”

It takes nearly another minute for May’s eyes to drift open, her gaze landing first on Daisy before shifting towards Jemma.

“Your throat might be a little sore because we had to intubate you during surgery,” Jemma starts explaining. “You shouldn’t try to move too much just yet either…”

“Not now, Jemma,” Daisy says, dropping the scientist’s hand and standing to lean over the bed rail to gently hug May’s shoulders, pressing her face into her hair. Her throat has closed up again, so she says it with her embrace—

_I’m so glad you’re all right._

A moment later, she feels Jemma shift closer, sandwiching Daisy between her and May’s bodies in a careful, added embrace around both of them. Within their arms, May doesn’t protest, and Daisy can only assume that May must have pulled Jemma’s hand or else given a look weighty enough to get her point across. Against her shoulder, Jemma shudders quietly, a smear of moisture seeping through Daisy’s shirt. Within her grip, May’s hand flexes again, and Daisy assumes she’s doing the same on the other side. Daisy takes a deep breath and drowns in the steady heartbeat beneath her ear, a reminder of their first goal—before the planet, before the universe…

_Protect each other. Save each other. Be each other's shield._

In this moment, Daisy’s not entirely sure who is protecting who, but they’re certainly all saving each other, and that’s something she’ll try to never quit doing. Right here, with the people she loves most safe enough to rest and healthy enough to hold, Daisy can finally exhale. 

_We're gonna be all right, _she tells herself one more time.

She'll keep repeating it until it's true.


End file.
